Induction heating apparatuses and processes for footwear manufacturing

摘要

A method of making an article of footwear may include providing a last shaped to resemble a human foot. The method may also include forming at least one footwear component at least in part from a susceptor material that is thermally reactive to an electromagnetic field. The method may further include covering at least a portion of the last with two or more footwear components, wherein the two or more footwear components includes the at least one footwear component formed at least in part from a susceptor material. In addition, the method may include applying an electromagnetic field to the susceptor material, causing induction heating of the susceptor material and joining the two or more footwear components by melding the two or more components with the induction heating.

主权项

1. A method of making an article of footwear, comprising:
providing a last shaped to resemble a human foot; forming at least a first footwear component at least in part from a susceptor material that is thermally reactive to an electromagnetic field; covering at least a portion of the last with two or more footwear components, wherein the two or more footwear components includes the first footwear component and a second footwear component; applying an electromagnetic field to the susceptor material, causing induction heating of the susceptor material; and joining the two or more footwear components by melding the two or more footwear components with the induction heating; wherein the first footwear component formed of a susceptor material is at least one of a panel of an upper of the article of footwear, a heel counter, a toe cap, a support plate of a midsole, and a ground-contacting sole component.